Rumour mill goes into overdrive as denials follow claims of police raids

Malta’s rumour mill has been working overtime since the arrest of Yorgen Fenech and Keith Schembri, the chief of staff of the Maltese prime minister in connection with the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

As happens during such cataclysmic events – the prospect of a political murder hanging over Malta’s leaders – many are the rumours sending newsrooms on wild goose chases.

Earlier today, former minister for the economy Chris Cardona denied that his house was being raided by the police, after a photo of a Madliena street with three police cars started making the rounds.

“My reply to the irresponsible question by the church media,” – he said referring to Newsbook – “is now. Despite having made contact, they have persisted with fake news. I appeal for more responsibility in the media’s reports,” Cardona said.

The same photo bore a resemblance to the main road in Iklin, where Lands Authority chief executive officer James Piscopo resides. Even he, a chief Muscat ally, denied that he had been spoken to by the police or that raids had taken place at his house. “This is absolutely not true. The photo shown is not even my address. I have asked the press to remove this false story.”

And yesterday, the businessperson Diane Izzo of Dizz Group – a personal friend of the Muscats – had to deny being the owner of Egant, the mysterious Panama company which the late journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia had claimed was Joseph Muscat’s. The claim was never corroborated by the journalist in the magisterial inquiry that followed and which found no evidence for the claim.

“A short note to set the records straight. Anything circulating on social media about me personally and my group of companies is absolute non corroborated fake news. At no time was I called to be questioned by the police as stated in this attempt to mudsling me and my business.”